Money doesnt bring happiness
by Zephyr-Chan
Summary: Deidara lives in the Uchihas estate as a servant boy - though he's treated more like a slave. The eldest son is set to marry the Subaku's eldest daughter and with her comes her cousin; Sasori. YAOI, M for language, possible lemon. SasoxDei, other pairings
1. Inhuman

**Disclaimer:** If I owned naruto it would be called 'akatsuki heirem chronicles' with Konan as their kinky, leather clad leader.

This is my first fanfic, so please be kind. I love constructive crits, so dont be shy and give me a few pointers, okay?

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The halls were black. It wasnt a calm darkness, not like a cosy bedroom with plush, thick quilts and comforts of a grand scale. No. It was an eerie darkness. Menacing and cold, its claws lashed out towards the boys pale skin, calling him closer. The whispered words only the blonde could hear echoed out from the abyss that seemed to envelope his body. His hands shook, the delicate white china rattling on the tray he gripped so tightly with bare white knuckles. The dark was scary; that was one thing he was certain about, even if the rest of his life was a blur. The darkness wanted him, but he was too afraid to enter - and too afraid to flee.

**"Oi, blondie!" **

The suddeness of the voice caused a the teen to jump and the china fell, shattering on the varnished wooden floor beneath his bare feet. He winced, a piece of the teapot breaking the skin, yet he did not complain. In an instant he was apologising, knelt on the floor collecting the scattered remaints of the antique teapot with his long golden locks falling over his lifeless eyes. The names the man called him were unheard. He was far too used to hearing the angry cries of 'stupid fucking klutz' and 'should never have let you stay here, ungrateful bastard'. The words were meaningless to him.

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**"Fucking brat smashed the good china. Its the forth time this week that he's done something like this. Honestly, sometimes I just want to kick the son of a bitch out and leave him to starve." **

Sasuke didnt wince. His father always complained about Deidara, the servant boy they had allowed into their household a few years back. 'Servant'. Sasuke sighed. 'More like slave'. He glanced towards his parents from across the table. His brother, Itachi, said nothing as his father ranted, yet Sasuke could see he was bothered by it. The raven haired boy didnt know why Itachi felt so sorry for the blonde, but it didnt matter. Even if he loved the boy, or something ridiculous like that, Itachi would never go against their father for fear of loosing out on the inheiritance of their estate. 'Selfish bastard' were the only words Sasuke could think of to describe his older sibling.

The door behind him creaked and he swiveled his head around swiftly in time to catch the blonde trudging across the room with a second teapot and mugs in hand upon a silver tray. The teapot was not as beautiful as the broken one but Sasuke didnt see what all the fuss was about. His mother, on the otherhand, gasped and muttered something under her breath which sounded oddly like 'i'll get the guards to teach him a lesson later tonight'. Of corse, Itachi didnt bat an eyelid. Infact, he ignored Deidara altogther.

The reason his parents were so on edge was because a wealthy familiy of similar estate to the Uchiha's was visiting. Something about an arranged marriage, or some shit like that. Sasuke wasn't too interested. It was his brothers funeral, not his. The Sabaku's were probably the only family that could rival the Uchiha's in money and class. Of corse they would want their eldest daughter to marry the eldest son of the Uchiha clan. Tonight was their first meeting, but Itachi knew that even if he detested the girl he didnt realy have a choice at all. The eldest sibling glanced at the back of Deidara's head as his ponytail swang through the doorway and back out into the hallway. Tonight was going to be torture.

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Deidara sighed as he closed the door lightly behind him. Itachi wouldnt even look at him anymore. It hurt him, yet at the same time he decided it was for the best. Itachi was soon to meet his future wife. It would be so much easier for them both this way.

The door bell chimed sweetly and the blonde groaned. Guests always made him uneasy. They always looked down upon him like some sort of insect, it drove him mad. 'Stupid rich bastards think they're better than everyone else', he thought bitterly, making his way to the door. Reaching out and clasping the handle, the teen tugged it open and bowed deeply for the Sabaku's before eyeing them each in turn as they ignored him and stepped inside.

The first was a tall dark haired man and an elderly woman. Deidara had overheard the Uchiha's once talking about the Sabaku's; the wife had passed away during the last childs birth and the three children were cared for by their extremly rich father and countless maids. The woman, though, was a surprise. Probably a grandmother of the Sabaku children. After them came a tall teenager, around Deidara's age, probably. He had the same stern face and dark brown hair as his father. There was nothing unusual about him - no distinct features, so Deidara eyed the girl besides him instead.

She was just as tall as her brother but there was nothing dull about her. She had wild teal green eyes and a mane of beautiful golden hair cascading down her shoulders. It was messy, yet she suited it; it made her look feral, like a tigress awaiting the kill. Her face was just as stern as her fathers, yet her full lips and pale face made her look fierce rather than ugly. The curvy feline ignored Deidara completly as the others did - but that was no surprise. She was followed by a much shorter person - Deidara guessed it was the youngest brother - who was just as beautiful as his sister, yet the same green eyes looked cold, not passionate. His hair was un unusual red hue yet it appeared dull and lifeless. Deidara smirked a little. This family suited the Uchiha sons just fine. They could all be manic depressives together.

Deidara was ready to close the door behind them when an unexpected sillohette cut the light in half between the doorframe and the hallway. Blinking, surprised - was he wrong, were there three sons and a daughter? - Deidara eyed the person carefully. He looked a little younger than himself, though older than the red headed boy - he had the same shade of crimson hair as the youngest teen yet instead of being a stoic, monotonous mass, it was lively. His mess of red hair looked just as described - a mess. The tendrils were slightly curled and each and every ribbon of hair pointed in its own random direction. It curved down over his face and framed his ivory pale skin perfectly. And his eyes - Deidara froze, unable to look at anything more about the person - his brown grey eyes were bright yet somehow bored and framed with thick lashes. The blonde watched as the beauty took a quick glance around the hallway before laying his eyes upon the very same slave boy who was staring at him. Their eyes met. Deidara's bright blue orbs widened a little as the person lightly smiled, his boredom seeming to evaporate.

**"Hi."**

Deidara was stunned into silence. The redhead was called away from the door and left the blonde as his hand slipped away from the brass knob. "Hi." The words echoed in his mind. "Hi." The simple gesture had silenced him. "Hi". He didnt understand it. What was going on?

Deidara had been treated like a _human_.

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Whooo, reviews are used to feed my muse and help me write longer, better chapters! :3


	2. Who's that girl?

**Disclaimer**: If I owned naruto Sasori would be king and Deidara would be his sex slave.

Again, this is my first fanfic. Be gentle. x3

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The tiny green balls were poked idly around the plate, dancing back and forth across the ice white surface. Every so often the silverware would impale the helpless peas and carry them upwards towards a slightly parted mouth, yet the human did not rush his meal. He was finished eating and despised the taste of his greens yet he had nothing better to do than terrorise his food. The teens brown eyes swept across the inhabitants of the manor. His three cousins were to his left; Gaara looked just as bored as Sasori but the other two were chatting like old friends with the family. Temari looked as confident and as beautiful as ever - though Sasori did find it rather amusing when she stuttered and tried to hide it with an obviously fake sneeze. She wanted to make a good impression on the Uchiha's and it seemed to be working - at least, on the parents it was. Sasori eyed the man who poor Temari was stuck with for the rest of her life. Uchiha Itachi. He looked emotionless as he talked and barely looked at Temari , or anyone for that matter - though Sasori did see him glance towards the door on several occasions with a hopeful gleam in his eyes.

It seemed like odd behavior, but Sasori didn't dwell on it. He didn't really give a damn so why think too far into it? Sighing, he lent back and closed his eyes, ignorant of the horrified look his grandmother shot him for his indifferent, rude behavior. Instead of listening to the pointless talk, he decided, instead, to day dream. As an aspiring artist, he often found inspiration by simply sitting back and letting his mind wander, yet the muse he received was no what he had expected.

The image of a golden haired person came into view. She was taller than he was with eyes bluer than the sky itself, yet they were sad eyes. They held a deep emotion that was unfamiliar to Sasori; something that made him want to reach out and embrace the girl. She was cute; not entirely feminine, but her unusual looks and thin, flat frame gave her a look of innocence and youth. The clothes she wore were masculine and ragged - grey cloth pants that had once been ivory white and a black shirt that was slightly too small and showed a small portion of stomach. She had no curves - only flesh and bone. She appeared half starved and in bad health and her hip bones were clearly visible from under the thin fabric of the pants.

Sasori pictured the maid girl and sighed. She had not replied as he greeted her - he had only time to glance at her shocked expression before he was hurried away to meet the Uchiha's - he could only assume she was not used to being addressed by strangers. He felt a little sorry for her, though he knew it was non of his business. People treated slaves as they wanted. They were objects, not people.

The doors opened from behind him and he glanced over his shoulder in time to see the servant girl rushing towards the table with a stack of plates upon a small tray. He smirked as the china shook as she moved swiftly - she was less than graceful. She approached too swiftly, though, and her foot caught upon a slightly loose floor board. Falling, the plate smashing and scattering ivory remains upon the varnished floor, the servant girl tripped. He could not help but laugh a little, though he knew it was rude too. Only his grandmother noticed and clipped him over the ear, though - everyone else was staring in shock. Uchiha Madara, the father of Itachi, stood and hovered over the teenage servant menacingly. His red eyes narrowed and he lent down, grabbing the girls hair tightly in his fist, unable to contain his fury. Sasori watched as she was dragged away. The pain in her eyes was only made worse by her submissive behaviour as she surcome to his violence. The door closed, hiding whatever punishment had come to the girl. Turning away, Sasori moved in time to catch a glimpse of a tear in the corner of Itachi's eye.

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He knew what was coming. As his blue eyes followed the cascade of china fall from his grasp, he went through the mental image imprinted within his mind. He knew what was about to happen, and he did nothing to try to prevent it. Why bother if it did nothing but worsen the punishment? Why care what happens when nobody else cared either? Deidara lifted his head slightly, catching Itachi's eye. The raven haired teen averted his scarlet gaze, eyeing his future wife in an attempt to ignore what inevitable punishment was coming Deidara's way.

The laugh did not amuse neither boy yet Deidara did manage to smile slightly. At least he knew what a happy noise sounded like, even if it only lasted a moment as the red head realised his mistake and stared in disbelief as the klutzy servant tripped and fell. The blond barely felt his knees hit the ground before his hair was caught in his masters steely grip. His face reverted to a neutral state - he would die before showing pain in front of Itachi, or anyone else for that matter. Yet when it was only Madara, Deidara always failed in his mission to hide the pain. His master never felt sympathy, in fact, he liked the screams of protest. Sick bastard.

Thrown from the room and dragged forcefully towards his quarters, Deidara replayed his previous beatings. They were always harsh, that was for sure, yet for his worst crimes - he winced visibly at the thought - he was always punished in the worst form possible. Today, Madara didn't seem to be in a half hearted mood. He wanted Deidara's head.

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The room was just as dark and dismal as always, so why did it feel that much blacker now? Deidara slumped against the wooden headboard of his cot and groaned, bangs of hair hiding his shallow features. A thin strip of light made its way through the barred window yet failed to pierce the eerie shadows of the room. It was cold. A shudder moved down the length of his torso, his bare skin stabbed by the frosty temperature. His breath came out as misty steam, and yet sweat lined his body. He was glad to finally be alone, even if it meant being alone in such a dark place. Madara only made the calignosity worse. Deidara closed his eyes and tried to think about something, anything, else. Yet it wouldn't go away. He replayed his punishment with quiet sobs as he curled up in the corner of the bed.

_His body was thrown across the room, his head hitting the wall with tremendous force. He sobbed, gritting his teeth as the larger man inned him against the wall, pressing his chest against the cold stone. Madara gripped the mess of blond hair in his fist as his teeth pierced the back of his neck, forcing blood from the soft tissues and cries of protest from his captive. Then, without much warning, he tore the rags from the teenagers body and ordered him onto the bed. Deidara did not fight. Naked and ashamed, he took his position upon his thinning sheets, upon his hands and knees, and squeezed his eyes shut. His lip bled as he bit down, trying to picture a happier scene. But how could he, when he had no happy memories to resort too? Madara's large frame took him over entirely, gripping his hips in his iron fists and thrusting forwards without any thought for the slave boy crying beneath him. Why bother thinking about him? He was his property, his object, and Madara could do whatever he wished with him. He was no better than a dog. _

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Review please, if you want more. :)


	3. Danna

I do not own Naruto. If I did would be a japanese male with tonnes of cash. Unfortunaly, none of this is true.

Reviews will make me write a longer chapter next time. Sorry its so shor. College has been tough lately. 3 I love all who read my ramblings. Thanks for putting up with me.

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The silence was unbearable. The dead air was shallow and shadows loomed from all angles. The faint sound of foot steps echoed, beating at the silence and disturbing the iron curtain of quiet that had formerly withstood against all invaders. But now, which movement unsettling it, it was shattered. Whisked away like it had never even existed. A sad smile rose upon the corners of a pale face. He walked with a brisk pace, weary of creating too much sound yet even wearier of being caught. His heart beat rapidly, his foot steps following suit as they competed, racing alongside one another like the beating of a drum; louder, louder -

The door was open in an instant. It was unexpected and Itachi simply strode into it, slamming his face painfully into the oak. Hissing, he stepped back quickly and parted his lips, ready to blurt out an excuse for his presence at such an hour. Yet the face that blinked at him was not an angry one. The brown eyes of the person were more shocked at seeing anyone up to late, and embarrassed about his own whereabouts. For too long they blinked at one another, before the pair both grinned and relaxed, seeing no threat within the eye of the other.

"Uchiha-san. Your up late." Sasori stated, leaning casually against the door frame.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same about you."

"I was bored. Cant sleep." Itachi cocked his head to the side, nodding.

"S-same." He stuttered, eyes shifting towards the end of the corridor.

"Uchiha-san...Can I ask you something?"

"Call me Itachi, and sure."

Sasori grinned lopsidedly but shuffled his feet, awkward, almost changing his mind about asking. But he couldn't keep his thoughts to himself.

"That servant girl. Is she okay? Your father didn't seem to be too careful with her." That was an understatement. Madara had practicaly carried her by the hair. Itachi's reaction was solid - literally. He looked like ice, completely frozen. Sasori didn't speak, but waiting for an answer annoyed him. He always had been an impatient git.

"Ita-"

"Yes." Itachi interrupted, forcing the words out. "Deidara is fine." He didn't even bother explaining that Deidara was, in fact, male. He glanced longingly towards the room at the end of the corridor, then spun on his heel, heading back towards his own room.

Sasori watched him go until the weasels silhouette had been lost beyond the abyss of dark that engulfed the corridor. Something didn't seem right. Closing his door slowly, Sasori snuck his way downwards towards the door Itachi's eyes had indicated subconsciously. Something was happening to this girl to make Itachi react in such a way - by the way he seemed at dinner, so distant and lost, it seemed he did not want this arranged marriage. Perhaps he loved the maid. Or maybe she was in pain and he wanted to stop it, but he would no longer he around to prevent it. Or worse - he wasn't even trying.

Either way, Sasori wanted to know just what was going on. It was only half a minute before he found himself before the heavy brass knob of the door. The key was jammed in the lock, unable to be opened from the inside but easy to access from his side. He turned the key slowly, being as quite as possibly. Pressing against the door haltingly. It made only a faint groan as it parted. The room was dark, lit only by a half melted candle in the corner of the room. Besides this was a metal bed frame, covered in a thin mattress. Upon it was a body, curled up for warmth. The bones of the person curled out like an exoskeleton. It was hideous to see such pain inflicted upon a human being.

Stepping forwards Sasori closed the door quietly, trying not to disturb the sleeping figure. But at the slight noise, the servant jolted upright and threw wide, fearful eyes towards the door. "Danna..?" Sasori shook his head and stepped from the shadows.

"You are Deidara, correct?" The person nodded and sat up, eyes slitting suspiciously. A thin sheet draped the thin frame of the person delicately, yet as Deidara shifted, the sheet dropped over his legs to reveal a males chest.

"Y-your a guy?" Sasori's voice changed from kindly to shocked as he blinked at the servant boy.

"Yeah, stop staring un. What about it?" Swiping locks of hair behind his ears, Deidara scowled at the red head. So that's why Sasori had bothered speaking to him. Because he thought he was female. "Just go away un. I don't know why your here but Id prefer to be left alone." He lied, turning away from the older person. Sasori just stood, speechless.

"Deidara...Regardless of gender, I came because I was concerned. Itachi seemed to be hiding something so-"

"Of course he is un. He's a bastards son, that's why. And the apple doesn't fall far fro the tree yeah, un."

Sasori smirked. Despite appearances, this kid seemed to be quite the snappy little brat, he was a fighter apparently.

"He didn't strike me as a bad sort. I think he was going to check up on you." Deidara didn't answer, he simply stared at the candle, the orange glow reflected in his cerulean orbs. "Deidara...Are you hurting?"

The blond turned, the shock on his face obvious. "Hurting?" He repeated, then blushed. "N-no...Why would I be?" The red head raised an eyebrow, but stayed quiet. A scowl passed over Deidara's features. "Don't look at me like that yeah! Just go away already. Its non of your god damned business un!" Grabbing the candle, he threw it haphazardly towards the door. It hit the stone walls bluntly, the flame dying upon impact and thrusting the pair into darkness.

Sasori's voice reached forwards from the gloom; "I'm sorry. I'll go." The whisper brought tears to the blond eyes as he flopped back onto the bed. "Brat." Deidara smiled as Sasori muttered the offense and closed the door roughly behind him. Brat, hey? Deidara smiled lightly. Though the subject was delicate, he was glad of the midnight visit from the complete stranger. And to think, he didn't even know the red heads name. Danna. That's what he had called him, accidentally of course. He giggled slightly. If only the stranger really was his Danna; his master. Maybe then Deidara would be happy.


	4. Surreal

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Disclaimer -

If I owned Naruto, Temari and Shikamaru would have lots of babies and the whole akatsuki would wear leather. Obviously.

Are you guys happy? I'm having a muse-fest! Muse is simply pouring from my ears, I just had to make the most out of it, so this chapter is extremly early! Hope its good enough for all my beloved fans! xD

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"Shit, seriously guys, stop pulling so damned hard."

Deidara glanced up bleakly, raising an eyebrow at the statement. Temari was standing by the dresser, gripping the sides with white knuckles as her brothers tugged at the strings of the corset. Why she was wearing such a thing, Deidara did not know, but he sure as hell did know that, once she straightened up with a grimace, it made her look stunning. Temari didn't need its help to look curvy in all the right places, yet it emphasized her hour glass figure.

The dress was pristine ivory in hue, the corset settled over the bust and from the hips flowed a tremendous shirt that ruffled slightly at the ends and lightly brushed the floor, leading into a train at the back and pinned with tiny fabric roses at the hems. Pearls outlines the bodice, giving the dress an old fashioned, yet classy, aura. Yet the two males had tied a knot in the strings. Deidara rolled his eyes; they knew nothing about dresses. He didn't either, of course, but he wasn't as stupid as to tie such a hideous knot in the silken threads that connected the back of the corset together.

He was busy scubbing the floor, yet he didn't see any fault in stopping to assist for a moment. He cleared his throat and the trio turned, each holding a different expression upon their face. They looked so different, quite unlike siblings. Temari was staring, as if he had appeared from nowhere by some sort of witchcraft, yet she smiled slightly, nervous, as if she shouldn't be talking to him. Kankuro was blinking, probably wondering who the hell he was, before scowling and turning away. Gaara on the other hand, merely glanced his way nonchalantly before gliding towards his sisters bed and sitting quietly. He didn't seem too bothered about his sudden presence - or anything at all, for that matter.

Deidara didn't mind, though. He wanted to know more about Temari, not the two males. She was the one taking Itachi away from the Uchiha estate to apparently create a new branch to the family tree. He couldn't help but scoff at the thought, but regained composure before opening his mouth to speak.

"Sabaku-sama" He started, his voice low and respectful of the woman. "Can I help you with that? They seem to have messed up the bow at the back."

Temari seemed a little surprised at the way the boy was speaking to her, but was definitely not surprised at the mess her brothers had made to the bow. She glanced at the mirror, turning to the side slightly, and sighed.

"Idiots. Yes, please do...Err.." She glanced at him, laughing awkwardly.

"Deidara. But my name doesn't matter, Sabaku-sama." She nodded slowly, unsure as she turned. Deidara got up from where he had been scrubbing the floorboards and pranced towards the girl. He looked a mess besides the well dressed feline. His tattered shirt and pants were dull grey and his feet were bare and black with dirt. But he didn't care much for his own appearance. His hands were clean from washing the floor, so as long as he didn't soil the white gown, his own messy state mattered not.

He untied the knot then carefully retied it in a delicate bow at the bottom of the corset bodice. Without awaiting a thank you, he gave a slight bow, then picked up the tub of water and sponge and walked from the room.

Temari smiled to herself. She recognized him as the servant of the household, of course - how could she forget? He had fallen before the dinner table on her first night here, and had served tea for the past week. He seldom spoke, and when it did, it was only towards his master, Uchiha Madara.

Shrugging, she turned to admire her reflection, beaming at her curvy silhouette. Her golden mane tumbled over her shoulders in ringlets. The perfect bride. Yet she was uneasy. Her family had always had arranged marriages. She could only wander if her own mother had felt so...alone.

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Itachi held his face in his hands. He was shaking slightly, shivering with cold yet the room was heated perfectly to suit the Uchiha's tastes. His body was reacting badly to stress; why him? Why did he have to be the one to marry? And why couldnt he get that voice out of his head?

_You can't do this! Itachi, don't let him hurt me, please!_

The Sabaku family had been here for a week and though he spent every day with his beautiful fiancee, he could only think of one person. Someone with far greater beauty than Temari would ever have. His nails gripped his hair tightly, pulling as if trying to free the painful thoughts from his mind. It was hopeless, though. In a few weeks he would be forced to marry this girl; this stranger, yet he knew he could never love her. And what was worse; he would be forced to leave his home for a better estate.

Deidara would be helpless.

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Sasori entered the room and grinned at his cousin.

"The dress looks great." He told her honestly, the rest of the family agreeing with him. Yet non of them seemed to feel the ghostly aura about them. No one could see the blankness in Temari's stare. She seemed distant, like she was in a trance. Sasori waved a hand before her eyes and she jerked away, jumping at the sudden closeness.

"Huh? Oh...Yes, its superbly made. Hand crafted." She murmured, before gliding away into the hall. Sasori raised his brow, the rest of the family was silent.

"Oh don't worry, she'll get used to the idea soon enough. We need this. She's doing it for the Subaka family. Without the Uchiha's money we will never survive. She knows she'd our only chance of maintaining our fortune." Her father ranted, whilst Sasori's grandmother nodded, agreeing. Sasori wasn't really that interested in Temari's forced wedding, of course, so he wandered from the room.

This whole household seemed so _surreal_. Temari seemed happy before her fiancee, yet was reluctant to marry Itachi, Itachi was touchy on the subject of Deidara, Deidara was a mess yet wouldn't admit he needed help - what the hell was going on? He didn't understand at all.

Thinking of Deidara - since their conversation six nights ago, he hadn't seen much of the blonde haired boy. He only saw him at dinner, when he brought their meals. Every meal time, Sasori would throw him a quick smile and the reaction he received was always different. At first, Deidara tried to ignore him, but as the days passed he became more and more eager to smile back. He even managed a slight wave as Madara's back was turned the previous evening, though to Sasori's amusement, he was very close to dropping a steak knife on the youngest Uchiha son's hand.

Sasori sighed, leaning against the wall. He could still hear his uncle's ranting though the slightly ajar doorway. He wanted to find out what the hell was going on, but curiosity killed the cat; Sasori didn't want to be dog food.

He felt like if he got involved, something would happen. Something he wouldn't necessarily like.


	5. Bathroom Talk

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Naruto, Clothes would not exist *shot*

Another short chapter im afraid. Im not great at long ones huh? Anyway, The plot lines coming through here. Can anyone guess what is being planned?

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Deidara bit his lip, face screwed up in concentration as he attempted to scrub the grime from behind one of the lesser used bathrooms. He was knelt down behind the toilet, fists pounding the cloth furiously, with little result.

The chuckle took him by surprise. Lifting his head and hitting his crown on the ceramic toilet he winced and turned around with a glare. The culprit didn't seem to notice the bump, or just didn't feel like he needed to apologise. He just continued to grin at the blond.

"Having fun?" The coy voice murmured as Deidara got to his feet and gave a little dip to the head towards the youngest Uchiha brother.

"Oh yeah - tons of fun." He murmured, rolling his eyes. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at Deidara's tone of voice but said nothing.

"Look, I want to ask you something. You better answer truthfully."

"Little master wants information? Look, I know it looks like Ive been the one stealing muffins from the cupboards but -"

"-You've been stealing muffins? Oh never mind that, shut up. Look, Nii-sans been acting very strange lately. Do you know why?"

Still red from admitting his muffing thievery, Deidara froze, then grunted. "How the fuck am I supposed to know whats bothering him? Maybe he's some crazy fucked up bastard who doesn't like the look of that chick he had to marry and wants someone hotter. Or maybe it isn't about appearances - but the fact he's being forced into marrying someone he doesn't love, or even know very much about! Who knows?"

The sarcasm was evident in his voice as he turned and knelt, resuming his scrubbing. Sasuke didn't leave. Gritted his teeth, his movements became rougher as he attacked the filthy surface of the tiles floor. The dirt began to flake away under the assault.

"Deidara. You might not know if, but I know how close you are with my brother. Mother and father may have turned a blind eye, but not me. Tell me. Do you know why he is so upset? It isn't like him to care so much about something."

The silence that followed was broken only by the quite squeaking of the cloth against the now clean floor. Deidara didn't stop washing though. He refused to stop until Sasuke had left. Getting the hint, the raven haired boy turned and strode from the room, only to encounter the red headed guest. Ignoring Sasori, he slipped down the hallway towards his room.

Bewildered by the coldness of the ebony haired teens eyes, the scorpion entered the bathroom. He watched for minute or too as Deidara scrubbed the spotless floor before clearing his throat.

"Umm, Deidara. That floor is clean."

"Yeah, I know."

Silence. It was a few more moments before Deidara threw the rag into the bucket of grimy water besides him and sat on the edge of the bath with his head low. Tendrils of hair fell over his face. Apparently his cleaning had only been to hide his emotions, which were on the verge of collapsing under the pressure. Closing the door, Sasori slipped into place besides the servant and eyed him carefully.

"You are in pain. I can see it."

Deidara sniffed quietly and shrugged. "Its not like you care, un." He murmured under his breath, breathing deeply.

"What did he say to upset you?"

"Nothing."

"Did he touch you?"

Deidara winced. "No."

Sasori groaned, running his fingers through his unruly hair carefully. "So he didn't hurt you and he didn't say anything to you? So why are you upset?"

"I'm not, un."

"Liar."

Managing a slight smile, Deidara looked up towards the tawny eyes of the puppeteer.

"It's nothing. I just ... He asked about Itachi. I couldn't answer him. I know ...."

You know what?" He prised, curiosity enveloping him. He knew it was none of his business, yet he found himself almost caring for the poor brat. He pitied the creature, but most of all, he just wanted to know what the hell was going on. What was his cousin in for, marrying into the Uchiha family?

"I know why Itachi doesn't want to marry Temari-san." He answered carefully. "Because of me, un."

The news received a mixed review from Sasori; a combination of shock and confusion lit up, visible in his features. Deidara ignored him brushing his long locks of hair behind his ears.

"He's a bastard, un."

* * *

Deidara had insisted on continuing his onslaught of the bathroom alone, leaving the red head to ponder what he had just discovered. Something about Deidara had Itachi wanted to stay. If he married Temari, he would be forced to leave since their agreement was to live in the Suna with the Sabaku family. Of course, Sasori also knew what the slave didn't - that the marriage was intended only to make the two families more powerful and far richer. Unknown to commoners, the two powerful families were suffering under the recession and needed the cash. If not for the grand scale of their houses, the would have nothing. It was probably why the Uchiha's had only one servant to clean to whole mansion, plus a few cooks who never lived on site.

The marriage was desperately required for the two families. It had to go without a hitch. Yet according to Deidara, Itachi was having second thoughts. Was he going to go against his family and risk loosing his fortune? Sasori knew what it was like to live as a commoner and doubted that such a highly respected aristocrat like an Uchiha could ever cope with having nothing. It was just bizarre.

Turning the corner, he overheard Madara and his uncle talking quietly together in the hallway.

"My son seems to be taking it rather difficultly. Maybe we should speed the process up a little, in case he decides to run?"

"My thoughts exactly, Uchiha-san. Temari is adapting to this better than I thought she would. The sooner the better, I think."

"I'm sure we can alter the date to, lets say, one weeks time?"

"Certianly. And when our little 'accident' occurs, we will be able to collect the insurance money much faster."

Turning, the older men began to walk in his direction. 'Shit', he thought, turning. Grabbing the nearest door handle, he pulled. Locked. Dammit, he couldn't be found now - not after hearing their conversation. Running back towards where he came from, he yelped as a hand gripped his wrist, another wrapped about his mouth and dragged him into darkness.

* * *

"What the fuck? Who's there?"

"Deidara, un."

"What's going on?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing, un. Why were you running?"

Switching on a lamp, Sasori blinked as his eyes adjusted to the suddenness of the light. Turning, he eyed Deidara who was perched on a rather beautiful king sized bed. His attire looked totally out of place in the grandeur of the room.

Panting, Sasori threw himself onto the sheets of the bed and led on his back. What the hell had that been about, anyway? What sort of 'accident' had they been talking about? Something was going to be destroyed, and something worth a lot of money at that. The insurance would be enough to make them rich again, according to what had been said. But what was it?

"My uncle and Uchiha-sama were talking. Something about insurance money."

Though he wasn't sure how much information he could get from Deidara - or give, for that matter, he felt as ease around the servant. He blurted out the whole conversation without taking breath before closing is eyes. He hadn't had much sleep anyway, but combined with the sudden adrenaline rush from running about and his panic about what they had been talking about, Sasori was exhausted.

Deidara wasn't as shocked to hear the news though. Madara was a sick, twisted guy. His fists wrapped about his shorts roughly as he threw examples of Madara's cruelty from his mind. Painful memories haunted him, but it wasn't what he needed to be thinking about. Insurance, huh?

"Hey Danna...Maybe -" He giggled as he accidentally used the nickname he had given him but stopped as he turned to face the cinnamon haired teen. He was fast asleep, his hands clutching the sheets tightly in his small, ivory hands. With a smile, Deidara threw the blankets over the older boy and turned off the light, leaving the sleeping boy in peace.

Damn, he was cute.

* * *

Anyone think they can guess what's up Madara's sleeve? Taa for the reading. 3


End file.
